The Inmarsat IsatPhone Pro gives you satellite call service on a relatively small handset; just bring along plenty of patience and money.

Need a phone that works anywhere on the planet? The Inmarsat IsatPhone Pro ($599) promises clear voice quality in remote locations across the globe, where regular cellular access simply won't do. It's not a smartphone, as it only offers voice calls, voicemail, texting, e-mail access, and basic GPS location services. But it's ideal for first responders in disaster zones or adventurers who travel way off the beaten path.

Connectivity and DesignUnlike the Terrestar Genus, which is a combination cellular and satellite-based smartphone, the IsatPhone Pro is purely a satellite phone, as it works only via geostationary satellites. It connects to the three-satellite Inmarsat-4 network, for which the company guarantees operability "well into the 2020s."

Let's start with the phone itself. The IsatPhone Pro is a brick. It measures 6.7 by 2.1 by 1.5 inches (HWD) and weighs 9.8 ounces. The oversized keypad features raised, bubbled plastic keys reminiscent of an old cordless landline phone; it's designed for use while wearing thick gloves. The bottom holds a covered microUSB and non-standard 2.5mm headphone jack. It's not as big as satellite phones that come with their own suitcases, but it's much bigger than a contemporary cell phone.

The IsatPhone Pro is also rugged. Its IP54 rating means it's certified to work at temperatures ranging from -20 degrees to 55 degrees Celsius; it's also shock, splash, and humidity resistant. It's made entirely of plastic, but it feels like a tough, grained ABS resin, like it can take a beating or two and still work fine. The color LCD screen is sharp; it looks like 240-by-320-pixel resolution to my eye, although Inmarsat doesn't publish the specs for it. There's not much on the screen, aside from the occasional graphic to help you score a signal.

Locking Onto a SatelliteIt turns out that's useful, because making a call is a somewhat complex process. During a series of tests, locating the satellites became an issue, and getting the IsatPhone Pro registered on the satellite network proved problematic. You have to stand still and aim at one of the satellites. The IsatPhone Pro will search for those first, and then search for nearby GPS satellites, before it can find a lock. Since you may have no idea where the Inmarsat satellites are, aiming at one can be a problem.

After about 15 minutes of trying various angles, I gave up and asked Inmarsat where the nearest satellite was, but that won't help people standing out in the middle of the Canadian tar sands without cellular coverage. While the company offers a satellite coverage map, it said that normally, the omni-directional antennas should locate the satellites after a few minutes of being extended in the upward position in any open area, and that there may have been something obstructing my view. (There were some trees, but they were further down the street and behind various houses; I was standing right in the middle of the street in each case.)

In Use, Voice testing, and ConclusionsAll calls from satellite phones are international calls. To call any U.S. number, for example, you dial 00, 1, and then the area code and phone number, before pressing Send. Once I finally had a connection and was registered on the network, the IsatPhone Pro worked as expected. As long as I stood perfectly still, and continued to aim the antenna at the satellite, calls sounded surprisingly clear and detailed. During calls, the signal strength meter varied between zero and three bars. I tried walking, but just a few feet away from my initial position, I completely lost what the caller was saying.

On the plus side, there was no background hiss in either direction, and excellent voice timbre. Latency was another story: we measured it at exactly two seconds, or one second in each direction. You can't really have a normal conversation that way; instead, you deliver your sound bite, wait for the response, and then deliver your next sound bite. (Or say "over," like with handheld radios.)

The built-in speakerphone sounds clear and goes quite loud, which can be vital in emergency situations. You can use the IsatPhone Pro with a Bluetooth headset, which is a great option to have if you're behind the wheel of a Jeep or some other utility vehicle. The phone will sync contacts with Microsoft Outlook 2007, although Inmarsat only certifies it for use with Windows Vista SP1 and Windows XP Pro SP3; I wasn't able to test this, but honestly, I doubt many of Inmarsat's customers will even bother given the narrow restrictions. We weren't able to test battery life, but Inmarsat claims the phone offers eight hours of talk time or 100 hours of standby on a single charge, with a full charge taking 3.5 hours to complete.

As you can imagine, the IsatPhone Pro isn't cheap. In addition to the $599 up-front price, each reseller has different packages you can buy. On average, the company said resellers are charging about $1 per minute. The airtime rate is the same no matter where you are in the world or who you call. If you want to buy one, cheek the www.isatphonelive.com Web site; we found one store selling the handset for $588, and offering airtime packages starting at $14.95 per month. There are also prepaid plans available.

There's really not much competition for the IsatPhone Pro. But if you need one, and treat it like the occasional use, emergency device it is, it gets the job done with a minimum of fuss.

About the Author

Jamie Lendino is the Editor-in-Chief of ExtremeTech.com, and has written for PCMag.com and the print magazine since 2005. Recently, Jamie ran the consumer electronics and mobile teams at PCMag, and before that, he was the Editor-in-Chief of Smart Device Central, PCMag's dedicated smartphone site, for its entire three-year run from 2006 to 2009. Pri... See Full Bio

Inmarsat IsatPhone Pro

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